The Lost Boy
by Mononoke-hime x sukai kurora
Summary: When Levi does not arrive on time in the early morning hours, the Special Operations Squad grows worried. Petra finds that Levi has been mysteriously de-aged, turned into a child with no memory. As the 104th Trainees Squad becomes involved in the affair, they begin to understand of Levi's tragic past. Established LevixPetra.
1. Chapter One

_ Chapter One_

Petra Ral walked through the hallway, looking through the rooms as if Levi-_heichō _could be hiding behind them. The captain had not come down to breakfast today – not that he usually did. It was known in the squad that Levi-_heichō _had a small morning meal in his office as he did his paperwork. However, he always appeared at eight o'clock sharp. He didn't today. The squad, even Oluo began to feel a sense of unease when Levi-_heichō_ didn't appear an half an hour later.

"Something is wrong," Gunter had said with a frown. "I looked outside the training grounds, but didn't find him." The soldier crossed his arms across his chest.

"He couldn't be in his office," Petra added. Her unease started to grow as the minutes started to tick by. She knew Levi-_heichō_, and his habits. He wouldn't abandon the squad for the sake of paperwork. _He always complains that Erwin-_danchō _sneaks his paperwork into his pile. _Petra stifled a laugh at the memory. "It wouldn't be like him to sleep in either."

"I am too strong for sleep, for I am humanity's last hope." Oluo stated despite the annoyance in Petra's eyes and the exasperation in the others'. "I must watch and wait and protect my flock."

"Unlike you, Levi-_heichō_ doesn't have a conceited ego," Petra stated as Oluo gasped in mock horror. "He knows that sleep is necessary for a soldier." _Unlike most of us, _she thought. How many times had she woken up from a nightmare, perspiration coating her skin, and unable to fall back to oblivion? Too many times to count.

"Enough, you two." Eld said before the two of them could fight. "Finding _Heichō_ is of most importance. The rest of you will come with me to look at the ground again. Petra, continue looking in the castle*." Speaking quietly to himself, he whispered, "Maybe _Heichō_ is still asleep."

Petra continued to look though the hallway and the doors, finding nothing. _Could he be sick? _That had been the only time when Levi-_heichō_ hadn't arrived on time. Petra had been new to Special Operations Squad at that time, and she had been the one to find him in his bed, burning with fever. She had been the one who had to take care of him for a week, and that was first time she realized that he wasn't just Humanity's Strongest Soldier. He was human, just like her. _"Goddamn it,"_ she remembered him rasping as she put a cool washcloth on his forehead. _"I'm… never…sick." _Petra hadn't remembered what she had said to him, but she knew that was the moment she had fallen for Levi-_heichō_. Petra stood in front of the doorway now, uncertain is she should knock or not. Somehow Levi-_heichō _knew it was her without Petra even saying a word. _"You're fucking quiet, unlike every other soldier I've come across," _he said when she asked him about it. Petra didn't know is she should take it as a compliment or not until he lightly kissed her cheek. That had been their first unofficial kiss, and Petra's face warmed at the memory.

"Levi-_heichō_?" she whispered when she opened the door. In the dark outline of the room, there wasn't much to see. There was a small desk at the left side of the room, and a modest closet beside it. A small bed was in the center. Petra quietly stepped closer, reaching out for the curtain that blinded the sun that she had seen this morning. "Levi-_heichō_?" Normally Petra would see his sleeping face, but Levi-_heichō _was nowhere to be found. There was a small lump hidden beneath the covers. _Levi isn't this small, _Petra thought in confusion. _This body looks like it belongs to a child. _

Carefully, Petra removed the covers. A child was under the covers. A very small child at that. Petra hadn't even been that small. Dark hair was on the child's head, bangs covering most its forehead, and the entire body was swallowed by the clothes it had on. Petra gasped when she recognized the white sleepwear. _Did Levi…turn into a child? _The dark hair was a sign, and the child _was _small. Suddenly the child opened its eyes. There was no mistake. Big gray eyes, blinking sleep, stared back at her as Petra tried to say something.

Then child started screaming.

* * *

* I have no idea where the Special Operations Squad's Headquarters is located, so I used the castle seen in episode fifteen when Eren first meet the Special Operations Squad. The place is spotlessly clean, unlike in the anime. Also as another note, this chapter is just the introduction!


	2. Chapter Two

_Chapter Two_

The child continued to scream. Petra tried to reach tenderly for the Levi-_heichō _– it felt strange calling him that with the state he was in – but he seemed uncannily frightened of her. He flinched from her grasp and continued to scream, trying to cover himself with the sheets. Petra swallowed. The closet contact she came to small children were the trainees who came into the Survey Corps – and most of them, and if not all, died on their first expedition. Petra shook her head to free the dark thoughts from her mind. Judging from his size, Levi-_heichō _looked around the age of three.

His face was thin unlike most children his age, and his eyes were dilated and fearful. _What is he afraid of? _Petra thought as he continued to scream. She wrapped her arms around Levi-_heichō_, blocking out the screams that assaulted her ears, and held him as he continued to struggle out of her grasp. Tentatively, she stroked his hair softly, amused to find that even as a child, Levi-_heichō_ had soft hair. Slowly her captain-turned-child began to calm. He stopped screaming.

Petra turned her face towards him, noting how tears were streaking down his face. "Levi?" she murmured. He flinched. "Levi, is that you?" She let him see her smile. "It's okay, Levi-_heichō_. I'm here now." For a moment, the child didn't say anything. He didn't look at her, and didn't seem comforted by her smile.

Then, "Why do you…call me that?" The words were spoken in a whisper. His voice was high and soft, unlike what she was used to. When she tried to meet his eyes, Levi-_heichō_'s big gray eyes left hers.

"What do you mean?" Petra asked.

"I…I don't…" The child swallowed, as if trying to hold in something. "He usually doesn't…call me that."

"Then what does he call you?" Petra whispered to him. She saw Levi-_h_e_ichō_ close his eyes. _He looks so small…and fragile_, Petra thought sadly as he held onto her. _He's not a captain anymore. _

"He calls me…runt or brat. Most…of the time…he doesn't call me anything." The last part of the word was whispered, although Petra could hardly hear him. She felt anger at whoever treated Levi that way. _Not even being called by his name, _Petra thought bitterly. She thought about asking Levi who the man was, but thought better of it. "Where are you from?"

"I don't know…" the child whispered. He held onto Petra tighter. "It was dark and scary…before I came here." His dark eyes suddenly widened as he took in the sunlight and the images around here. "It's so bright…in here. No blood," he murmured in Petra's shoulder. Petra had heard Levi, and stared at the child in horror. _Blood? _"No more blood. I don't…" he sniffed. "I never want to…go back there." Tears dampened Petra's shoulder as the child continued to cry. She held him as tightly as he held her, and she stroked his hair. _"No more blood." I'm so sorry, Levi. _

"You don't ever have to go back there," Petra whispered to him soothingly. "Do you want me to call you Levi?" Petra asked him gently. The boy's eyes widened, and she saw his first smile.

"Yes, _oneechan_!" Petra felt tears start to rise in her eyes at the pure joy out of his eyes, but stopped at the thought of upsetting Levi. She hugged him deeply, a sharp squeak squeezing out of him. _I had no idea you suffered this much. _

"You need a change of clothes, Levi." Petra pointed to his ill-fitting clothes. The boy's eyes followed her finger. "I think I have some clothes that will fit you." As the child started to speak, she quieted him with a smile. "It's okay."

Soon both the adult and the child found themselves in the washroom. Petra set down the clothes she had collected from her sleeping quarters. They had belonged to her as a child. "I'll be outside, Levi, okay?" Just as she turned around, Levi's small hands found her own.

"Don't leave! Please!" Tears were starting to appear in his eyes. "I want you to stay with me, _oneechan_!" His grip on her hand tightened.

"You want me to stay even as you change?" Petra asked. The boy nodded. _It's okay, _Petra thought as she looked away as Levi changed into his new clothes. _It's nothing I haven't seen before, _she thought to herself with a small blush. When Levi finished changing, she found the bottom half of her body wrapped around by tiny hands.

"Thank you, _oneechan_," Levi whispered. "These clothes are so nice." _Nice? _Petra thought as she looked closer at her old clothes. Parts of the pants had holes in them, and the shirt was so worn Petra wondered how it hadn't fallen apart. _What experiences have you been through, Levi? _As the child had been changing, Petra taken a peek at him to make sure he didn't need any help. She had been stunned by what she had seen. Purple bruises covered the child's chest, and cuts were healing around his neck. There were more cuts and bruises around his legs, and his some of his ribs were visible through his skin.

_Child abuse has been eradicated to nothing since the Titans came, _Petra thought solemnly as Levi continued to be blissfully unaware of her morose thoughts. _Everyone realized how precious life was, and of how easily it could be taken away, so this atrocity stopped. _Petra's thoughts were broken when she heard Oluo's voice shouting from above. _He's imitating Levi-_heichō_ again. Not this one though, _Petra thought as she stroked the child's cheek.

"I'll be back, okay?" Petra set Levi down. The child seemed surprised, his eyes widening. "I'll be back, though. Stay here while I'm gone." With a gentle glance back at Levi, Petra exited the washroom to tell the squad what had happened to Levi.

* * *

The child named Levi did not like to be alone. He did not like closed spaces. Although this room was bright, he still felt the fear spreading through him as minutes passed when _oneechan _left. The child had never met anyone like her in his six years. She was so…kind. She didn't hit him. She didn't scream at him or kill people in front of him. _Oneechan _wasn't like Mr. Ackerman. At the thought of that man, Levi started to cry again. What if he came back to find him? He knew where everyone was. _"I'll kill you without batting an eye, you piece of shit,"_ he had many times. Levi hadn't heard his name spoken to him in such a long time he had forgotten he ever had one. _Mr. Ackerman's going to come. _The boy squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to imagine the tall man, but he could not stop seeing it. _He's going to...hurt me again…starve me….and then kill me! _Terrified from his thoughts, the child used his hands to climb to the window and smash it open. The boy blocked out the pain, fear pulsing through him. He dropped onto the ground and ran away. He didn't feel the pain in his hand. _"Blocking pain is what I've taught you," _Mr. Ackerman said again and again when he beat him. _"You have to master it. You're my student, after all." _


	3. Chapter Three

_Chapter Three_

Sasha was quiet. She tiptoed carefully to the pantry, knowing that if there was a crash or if she tripped, she would be caught. _I'm so hungry, _she thought as she slightly salivated on the thought of freshly baked bread hidden in the pantry. It felt like days since she had eaten, even though it had only been a couple of hours. Sasha sniffed as she took in the delicious smell of food as she opened the pantry the pantry door. Stacks of food, bread, onions, potatoes, and beef were sacked high. She hastily grabbed a piece of bread, and Sasha licked her lips in and anticipation. Before she could bite into the sweet goodness however, a crash was heard.

_What was that? _Sasha turned around but didn't see anything amiss. The window across from the pantry was broken though. Shards of grass littered the floor. As Sasha inspected the mess, she heard the quiet sounds of munching. She turned, and was stunned to find _her _piece of bread stolen by a little boy. If Sasha had not been so concerned with her food, she might have wondered how a child could get into this place, but her mind was elsewhere.

"My food!" she moaned. "How could you do this to me?" The child mercifully stopped munching on the bread and looked at her with shock. She saw the child's big gray eyes widen, and started to tremble.

"I'm sorry!" The child yelled. "Please…take the food." He held out his tiny hand, and gave her the half-eaten piece of bread. He didn't look into her eyes. "Please…I don't want you…to hurt me." _Hurt you? _Sasha thought as the bread was handed back to her. She saw sudden fear in the child's eyes. _Why…would I hurt you? _She eyed the bread crumbs on his little mouth, noting of how the child wiped them onto his hand and ate them. Suddenly she saw a streak of red. Blood was trickling down the child's arm from multiple cuts from his hand. Sasha thought back to the broken window. _He must have broken in to get the food, _Sasha realized with sad shock. _Even I… _"We need to get this cut fixed!" she exclaimed. The child flinched, and it only took Sasha mere moments to realize that the child did not like loud voices. "I need to clean this cut, okay?" Sasha said quietly.

This time the child looked at her. He had, as Sasha noticed before, big gray eyes. Dark bang covered his forehead, and his face was thin. _He's very small for his age, _Sasha thought as she took his small hand in hers to the washroom to find bandages. _His speech is much too developed for a toddler. _As Sasha found the bandages, she was aware of the child looking around the room, as if he was afraid that someone would appear in any moment. _His face reminds me of someone_, Sasha thought as she carefully washed the cut and put salve on it. It didn't escape her notice that she child didn't even bat an eye when she washed his hand with warm water. She put the bandage around his hand, wondering if she had seen the child somewhere before.

Sasha and the child went back to the pantry room. They wasted no time eating. At the corner of her eye, Sasha saw him gobble up his food…reminding her of how she ate as a child. But it was a bit different. The child seemed to eat his food as if he was afraid that someone or _something_ would take it away from him. "It's okay," Sasha stated with a laugh, "the food's not going anywhere." But the child didn't hear her. He continued to eat his food without even pausing. _This child…_ Sasha thought as she looked at his tiny ribs protruding from his thin shirt. No wonder his face was thin. _This child knows _true _hunger._ Hours later, Sasha and the child were lying on the floor, sleepy and their stomachs full. Sasha giggled slightly at the warmth she had at her stomach where the child was lying.

"What's your name?" Sasha asked him as his eyes were closing. "How old are you?"

"_Oneechan_ calls me…Levi." _Hmm… _Sasha thought. _I've heard of that name before. Isn't there a commander or some sort with that name? _"I woke up…from the house…and _oneechan _found me." Levi smiled, slightly yawning at the end. "I…don't ever…want to leave here," he murmured. He was starting to fall asleep.

"So you're four then?" Sasha asked. Levi immediately sat up.

"I'm _six_!" he cried indignantly. Sasha laughed at the little pout he had on his face, and laughed again, softer this time when Levi closed his eyes and started to sleep. _It's time for me to take a nap too… _Sasha thought shortly. She started to close her eyes but then,

"Blouse! I knew you're in there!" The hard pounding startled her, and she sat up. Levi suddenly woke up too and froze at the sound of the continued pounding on the door. Sasha had no time to reply when the door banged open.

Jean Kirstein was in the doorway, his face furious as he took in the empty potato sacks and other half-empty sacks and the open pantry door that revealed that only half of the food was left. "What have you done?" he growled. "This food was supposed the last us through the winter, and your _gluttony _caused this to happen!" His nostrils flared, and Sasha couldn't help but think he even looked more like a horse than he did now. Sasha let out a squeal of laughter.

"Hey!" Jean roared. "I –" Suddenly he stopped when he saw a child on the floor, tears trailing down his cheeks. Jean crouched down to the child's height and tried to make himself look unthreatening, but the child wouldn't look at him. "I'm sorry I yelled at you," he whispered. "I was just angry; I didn't mean anything by it." The child still didn't look at him, and feeling bold, Jean cupped the child's hand in his palm. Although the child continued to cry and squirmed, Jean wouldn't let him go. "I won't hurt you," he whispered. Suddenly the child seemed to hear him, and the boy seemed to calm, although tears were still flowing from his cheeks. Jean let his hands fall and observed the boy. He noticed a bandaged hand and crumbs still on his face and chin. "How did you find him?" he asked Sasha.

"I don't know." The girl seemed unusually quiet and pensive. "He just smashed the door open with his hand and stole a piece of bread. " They both watched the child blinked his eyes to wash the tears away, and Jean felt something tug his heart. "His name's Levi."


	4. Chapter Four

Slight spoilers for chapters fifty-six and fifty-seven!

* * *

_Chapter Four_

"Levi?" Jean's eyes widened. "There's a high ranking member of the Survey Corps named Levi. He's in charge of the Special Operations Squad." _Come to think of it, if you take off the tears and the big eyes, the boy looks like a lot like him. _

"Really?" Sasha stated, surprise on her face. "How did you know that?"

"I listen, unlike you," Jean snorted. "If you weren't just obsessed about food you could learn a thing or two." He sighed, looking as the child named Levi continued to search for food. "How did he get in here anyway? There's no children around in places like this." Before Sasha could answer, there was an unmistakable voice at the door.

"Sasha, Jean, what are doing in there I wonder?" _Gah, Springer is so annoying. _"Are you kissing? Doing something…dirty?" The door opened to reveal Connie Springer completed with Reiner and Eren Yeager. Jean tried to swallow his resentment as he looked at Yeager's stupid face. _What a stupid fool, _he thought bitterly. _Probably will get him himself killed in the useless Survey Corps. _

"Hey, is that a kid?" _Yeager speaks the obvious. _"What's a kid doing here?"

"I don't know," Jean retorted. "I found himself with Sasha, stuffing themselves with food." He looked at Yeager looked curiously at the child, who inched himself closer to Sasha.

"So…what's the kid's name?" Yeager said as he tried to reach out for the child.

"His name is Levi." Yeager's eyes immediately widened, and he had a huge grin on his face from the sound of the name.

"Like Levi from the Survey Corps?" Yeager's eyes sparkled, and Jean bit back a sigh of annoyance. "Awesome! I want to be just like him when I grow up!"

"Aren't you already grown up?" Jean muttered uttered his breath, looking away for a moment. Suddenly there was a huge crash, and the half-empty sacks of food spilled over the floor as Levi darted away from Yeager's outstretched hand. Yeager was now on the floor.

"I just wanted to say hi!" Yeager huffed. His eyes narrowed at the child, who cowered beneath the window. "I wasn't going to hurt you or anything!" Before Jean could say anything to the annoying green-eyed stupid boy, Mikasa and Armin entered the pantry room.

"Eren, the child is doing you no harm. Calm down." The voice that had haunted Jean's dreams ever since he saw her went through him. For a bizarre moment, Jean wished that Mikasa was speaking to him and not to incompetent Yeager.

"R-right," Yeager stated. He looked apologetic, something that was not on his face very often, and tried to smile tiny Levi, but the child's gray eyes did not meet his.

Armin walked towards Levi crouched down to him. "I'm not going to hurt you." He showed the child his hands as Mikasa stood by him. "See?" Levi now looked at him, and slowly, he nodded. _He's growing more trusting, _Jean thought with approval.

Armin could see that the child was not completely trusting of him, however. His body was stiff, and there was _something_ about him was off. _There's a bandage wrapped around his hand, and I saw the way he jumped away from Eren before Mikasa opened the door. It's not a normal at all _"What are you afraid of?" he whispered.

The child didn't answer right away. He seemed afraid to answer him, and Armin could see him shaking. Finally the child answered, but Armin had to hear it twice before he could understand. "Mr. Ackerman," Levi whispered. "He's cold and mean…and he…hurts me."

"Say that again!" Without warning, Mikasa wrapped her hands around the child's throat and lifted him up in the air. Armin watched in horror as Mikasa's grip slightly tightened. "Say that again, you piece of shit!" The child – Levi – was starting to struggle to breathe.

_"Mikasa!" _The normally emotionless young women did not hear Eren screaming her name and telling her to stop. She didn't even see the child she was choking. All she could see was her own smiling father. His death. She saw of how he had raised her with tenderness and joy. _My father isn't like that! How dare you defile his memory like that, you little brat!_

Meanwhile, six-year old Levi was having a flashback._ A woman was lying on the floor, blood pooling underneath her still form. Stab wounds crisscrossed her body, some of them still bleeding. Her dark hair was soaked with blood, and her face, covered with blood and with slight wounds, was unrecognizable. Levi approached her, his tiny hands trembling. He had stopped crying. Suddenly his father put his hands on his shoulder, a bloody handprint staining Levi's worn shirt. "Who's that?" Levi asked. His father had killed many people before, but this was the first time that Levi had been sent away this time. His father usually made him watch. "Don't you recognize her, runt?" Levi tried not to flinch at the reek of alcohol on his father's breath. "She's your mother." His father – his mentor – pulled away, and Levi could see the look of pure bloodlust on his face. _

Now as Levi struggled to breathe, the exact same expression was echoed on the woman's face. _She's killing me…_ Levi tried to twist and get away, but the woman wouldn't let him go. The noises and the yelling got too much for him. At the corner of his eye, a knife lied forlornly on the windowsill, and Levi grasped it in his tiny hand. Using the technique Mr. Ackerman taught him, the child aimed the knife at the woman's head…but she jumped back, the knife creating a cut just above her eye, letting him go.

Levi – the child to be known as Humanity's Strongest Soldier – fell to the floor and passed out.


	5. Chapter Five

Spoilers for chapter fifty-seven!

* * *

_Chapter Five_

Petra was at her wits end. She had looked for Levi since he had disappeared. _Why did I leave him alone? _Petra thought for the countless time. She had thought Levi would be fine, alone, in the washroom, but she was wrong. _Whoever did this to him screwed him up really badly, _Petra thought with mixed anger and sadness. _He thought he wasn't safe for even a moment. _She looked at the last place where Levi could be: at the 104th Trainee Squad barracks. Hanji had suggested that he could be there. Petra looked back at the taller woman. She was unusually subdued and quiet. Petra remembered of how Hanji had approached her and her team as they were fruitlessly searching for Levi. When they had told her what had happened, Hanji suddenly nervously laughed and apologized.

"_It's my fault this happened," _she had told them. _"I was doing an experiment last night; I wanted to see if Titans could de-age or not, and…uh, Levi appeared right behind me. I was so surprised that I accidently spilled the liquid into the tea I had made him. You know how he likes to have coffee in the morning and tea at night, right? Well…" _Hanji was starting to babble. It was as if she expected the Special Operations Squad to be angry that she was the culprit for de-aging their _heichō_, but none of them looked upset at all. Oluo, who previously dismissed Petra's account of Levi turning into a child, now roared with laughter. Gunther and Eld were slightly annoyed, but slightly smiled at Hanji. They had suggested that Petra and Hanji look for Levi elsewhere while they looked elsewhere as well. Now Petra and Hanji were in front of the first barrack where the 104th Trainee Squad were located. Petra remembered of how she had lived here as well, training every day ten years ago. _Most of the people in my class are dead, _she thought. Today was their day off if Petra remembered correctly. Even at noon there were hardly any sounds or voices. Then suddenly she and Hanji heard yells and screams. Immediately the two Survey Corps members opened the door to where the yells and screams were coming from.

"What the hell are you doing, Mikasa?" A cadet with messy brown hair with green eyes was looking at the other female cadet with rage. "He's just a kid!"

Petra observed the room, the sick feeling in her stomach intensifying as she tried to locate a very small dark-haired boy. The sickening feeling reached a breaking point when she saw Levi on the floor against the wall, unconscious.

"Levi-_heichō_!" Petra shouted without thinking. She scooped the little boy up in her arms, noting of how tiny he appeared and how light he was. She could see a dark purple mark growing against his neck. "Who did this to him?" she whispered. Petra held Levi tight across her chest, her anger growing every moment. The other cadets were staring at her with growing apprehension in their eyes. "Who did this to him?" she shouted.

"I did." The cadet who had been glared by the others stated. She had black hair and a red scarf around her neck. "He insulted my father." Petra couldn't say anything for a moment. Words had left her. Then she stared at the cadet right in the eye.

"Do you realize what you put this child through?" Petra stated. Her voice was cold with rage. "You tried to _choke _him. I don't care if he insulted your father, or your entire family for the matter. Keep your damn emotions in check. Understood?" When the cadet didn't respond, Petra asked her again, louder this time. "I said, am I understood?" The cadet nodded.

"I never thought you would ever get angry, Petra." Oluo entered the doorway, leaning against the object. _Even with this, he still insists on intimidating Levi-_heichō_. _"It's not healthy for a young lady." Before Petra could reply, she was interrupted by Hanji, who was looking at Levi in her arms.

"Levi is so cute!" she squealed. "I never thought I would say this, but he looks so cute as a child! How old is he? Two? I can't get over how adorable he is!" As Hanji continued to gush over Levi, Petra saw that the other cadets looked uncomfortable. _I can't blame them. Hanji can be a little much at times. _Suddenly one of the cadets steeped forward. He was short – although taller than Petra – had had soft blond hair and blue eyes. He had been standing next to the cadet with messy brown hair and green eyes.

"Excuse me, but is that….child Levi-_heichō_ of the Special Operations Squad?"

"No way!" stated another cadet. "There's no way a grown man can turn into a child!"

"It's possible, you know," stated another cadet. He was tall and had light brown hair. "The child shares the same name as captain in the Survey Corps, _and_ he looks a lot like him."

"I accidentally spilled a de-aging solution into Levi's cup, so yes, he is a child." Hanji stated sheepishly. The cadets started her, stunned.

"He is cute," Oluo stated. "He's cuter than I was a child." Unfortunately for him, everyone ignored him.

"But then…how come he has no memories?" Petra looked at the cadet that spoke, noting of how she held a piece of bread in her hand. "He says he's six, but he looks so much younger and…"

_She saw his bruises, didn't she? _Petra thought as the young cadet tried to find the words but couldn't. "What's the matter with him?" Hanji asked her.

"Well…when I came into this room, he stole bread from me. He seemed so afraid that I was going to hurt him. He even…broke into a window just to get _food_." The girl shuddered slightly. "Even I wouldn't do that."

"Are you sure about that, Sasha?" The cadet with light brown hair said with a smirk.

"Shut up, Jean." The cadet named Sasha said. "It's not like that," she whispered. "It was never like that. Where I come from, we know what hunger is. We know what it's like to be so hungry that we have feasts every time after a period of hunger. But that boy…he knows what true hunger is. I saw his rib poking out beneath his shirt." Petra saw the girl blink back tears. "It was as if he was afraid that _someone _or _something _would take away the food from him." The girl quieted, her eyes misting over.

"I saw bruises and cuts around his body as well," Petra stated to a shocked Hanji. "I think Levi was abused as a child."

"It's not just that!" Jean shouted. "He was running away from Yeager – although I have no idea why no one would – and his jump wasn't one that came from a child. And he almost hit a vital point with that knife when Mikasa…" he swallowed and hesitated, trying to not look at the cadet with the red scarf, whose name was Mikasa, and Levi.

"Why did he say my father's name?" Mikasa asked softly. "There aren't many people that have the same last names."

"I will answer your questions in a moment." Everyone turned around to find Commander Erwin Smith standing in the doorway with the rest of the Special Operations Squad. "So this is Levi as a child?" He looked at Levi with slight curiosity.

"I tried to tell you he was coming, but you didn't ask," Oluo said to Petra when she looked at him with questions in her eyes. She even thought she saw Gunter and Eld smile at the child she had in her arms.

Soon the members of the 104th Trainee Squad and the Special Operations Squad plus Hanji were sitting in the mess hall waiting for Erwin-_danchō_ to speak. Petra had Levi still in her arms, his small head buried into her shoulder. All was silent for a couple of moments. Erwin-_danchō_ seemed hesitant to speak. He said,

"Have any of you heard of…Kenney the Ripper?"

He was met with blank and bewildered stares. _Who's Kenney the Ripper? _Petra thought.

"Yes, I've heard of him," came Hanji reply. Horror echoed in her eyes. "He was…a serial killer who murdered people in the Capitol and over one hundred Military Police. I thought he was just a legend."

"What's a serial killer?" One of the cadets asked.

Jean scoffed and muttered angrily, "Are you so stupid that you don't even know what a serial killer is?"

Erwin glared at the two of them until they calmed down. "Enough. I'll give you a definition. A serial killer is a person who kills people for the pleasure of killing."

"Do they stop?"

"No," Erwin said shortly.

Horror and disgust echoed in the trainee's eyes, and Petra instinctively griped Levi tighter. _I kill Titans every time we go out on an expedition. I kill Titans only to survive and for humanity. I can't imagine killing people, especially for pleasure…not at all._

"So…what this Kenney the Ripper guy have to do with Levi-_heichō_?" Oluo asked.

Erwin-_danchō_ sighed from deep in his chest. He didn't seem to want to speak, and when he did, he spoke slowly.

"Kenney the Ripper _is _real, and he is still alive. His full name is Kenney Ackerman. He is not only Levi's mentor…but also his father."


	6. Chapter Six

_Chapter Six_

There was only silence after those words were spoken. The occupants of the room could even hear each other's breaths. Petra swallowed thickly, hearing Erwin-_danchō_'s words in her unravelling mind. She felt sick. The soldier could see the others were affected as well. The trainees had mixtures of shock and horror on their faces. Eren Yeager's face was twisted with rage, and his two friends beside him had unreadable expressions on their faces. She looked at her team, and saw Oluo opening and closing his mouth, attempting to speak but couldn't. Gunter's face was grim, and Eld was not meeting anyone's eyes. The tense silence in the room was growing fragile by the moment as Petra saw questions on everyone's faces.

"How…is Levi-_heichō_ a serial killer's son?" The only comfort Petra had was Levi's small body against hers. His sweet breath filled her ears, calm and content. "The military wouldn't have allowed…a serial killer's son into their ranks, am I correct?" There were select people not allowed into the military. People with handicaps were not allowed, nor were criminals or direct family members of criminals were not admitted into the military. _How was Levi able to get into the military? He never told me. _

Erwin-_danchō_ sighed. "By the time Levi was born, Kenney the Ripper's killings had ceased, and he had disappeared." There was an uncharacteristic emotion on his face. One of sadness. He took his time speaking again. "Years later he was recruited into the Military Police."

"That's what I don't understand!" Eren got on his feet and the chair he had been sitting on clattered to the floor. "That _monster _murdered their own people! Why would they allow him to go into the Military Police that supposedly _protects _people?" His flaming green eyes settled on the sleeping form of Levi. "And he had a son! How is that possible?"

"I will try to answer your questions as much as I can," Erwin-_danchō_ stated. "I do not know why Kenney the Ripper was allowed into the Military Police," he lied. _They probably had to use his skills to quiet people from telling the truth about the walls. He may have been something worse than human, but they needed him for the one thing he was good at, and that was killing._

"Perhaps they needed his skills," one of the trainees stated. _He's the one with the name Armin Arlert, _Petra thought as she looked at the boy with the sharp mind. _Levi showed me the name of the recruits when they had just begun training. I remember their faces now. Levi didn't think he would make it. _As she looked closely at him, Petra could see a far-away gaze from Erwin-_danchō_. _He would make a good commander in good time, _Petra thought.

"Perhaps," Erwin-_danchō_ stated. _That boy had no idea how close he was from the truth, _he thought. _He would make a good successor. _A long ago memory reemerged. Erwin could see the long forgotten person's face now. Something the person had said reminded him why he fought for humanity every time he grew weak. _"If not for the children, then what do we fight for?" _Although many people considered Levi cold, unapproachable, and without a kind heart, Erwin saw otherwise. Levi _was_ kind, and he _was _a good man. He was a better man than his father could ever be. "I believe that Levi was trained by his father so that he would be able to inherit his position in the Military Police." _Which involved assassinating people that posed as a threat. The government needed the son as well as the father. _He glanced at the child in Petra's arms. "It seems that it involved extreme measures, such as beatings and withholding food…so that Levi would be strong enough."

"But…why?" A cadet without any hair asked in a trembling voice. "Why would he need to inherit…that position?"

"By the time I had met him, he was well past his prime. Kenney the Ripper, or Kenney Ackerman, knew that he would die one day, and so he chose to train his own son to inherit his will." Shocked eyes met Erwin's at his words. _How would I have met a serial killer, they must be thinking._

"You met…him, Erwin-_danchō_?" Gunter asked. His normally composed face was as stunned as the others. Erwin nodded. Before any of the cadets could ask any questions, Erwin started speaking again.

"The government continues to deny that that this person exists, and the military has deleted all evidence that the person was alive." Erwin said those words with care. He never though he would ever tell anyone this story…except to Levi, when the time was right. "I met him on the night I graduated from the 99th Trainee Squad. Even when he didn't speak, he was an intimidating man. He had such cold eyes. His objective was not to recruit us into the Military Police, however. He didn't care if the majority of us lived or died." _The black hair was disheveled and dull. Dark eyes blinded by tears, and a soundless scream echoed into the night. I still have that dream at times, _Erwin thought. "Kenney Ackerman…was looking for a wife to bear a child."

"A wife?" Shouted one of the cadets. He was bald with bright hazel eyes. "I mean, couldn't he have…kidnapped some orphan girl or something?" He was met with glares and enraged expressions. "No offense."

"I believe that Kenney the Ripper needed a person had strong genes. A young fifteen year old girl about to serve in the military was the perfect option for him."

"Who was she?" Petra asked.

"She was the valedictorian the graduating class, and was going to go into the Survey Corps." _A solemn face with gray eyes with rare smiles echoed in his memory as a lone tear escaped from her eye as she was pulled along by the lone man in the suit. _"Her name was Adaliz Baudin…and she was Levi's mother." Again, there was silence. Erwin saw the cadets and the even the Special Operation Squad members looking at each other back and forth. _None of them thought our government could be so cruel. I knew, but yet it didn't stop the pain._ "A couple of years after I became a member of the Survey Corps, there was a report that a body of a dead woman had been found in an alley. No one could recognize her from the stab wounds, and a supposed culprit was caught and put to death. I think, though, that Kenney the Ripper murdered Levi's mother."

"Levi…he told me that…he liked this place." Petra's voice was a mere whisper. "He said that…there was no more blood." She looked up at Erwin, and shouted, "Erwin-_danchō, _he must have seen Kenney the Ripper _kill _people in front of him." Her hands shook. "He killed people in front of a child! …And now that you say that Levi's mother died not long after he was born. What if he saw that happen? What if…he saw her _die _in front of him?" Petra and a couple of other cadets were shedding tears.

"What was she like?"

"Adaliz Baudin…was a tiny little thing. She wasn't even one hundred fifty-eight centimeters tall. Although she didn't speak much, I could always tell she had a kind heart. She went of the way to comfort someone in her own way…and she made me see why we were fighting for humanity. "If not for the children, then what are we fighting for?'" Although she had no family, she did not grow cold or unfeeling, although she was solemn and didn't smile very often. She told me the day before he came that she would think of the Survey Corps as her family, and wouldn't let anything stand in her way to protect them." Erwin paused, the girl's face blurring into Levi's as more moments passed. "When he came for her that was the only time I saw her cry. And…" he hesitated for a moment.

"Adaliz was the reason why I joined the Survey Corps. If she couldn't partake in something that she desperately wanted to, then I would do whatever it took to fulfill her dream." Erwin closed his eyes, seeing her dark hair and gray eyes that Levi had inherited. _He inherited her will. Not his father's, as he believes. _"As soon as I saw Levi, I knew he was Adaliz Baudin's son."


	7. Chapter Seven

_Chapter Seven_

"So…you know Levi was her son based on the fact he was the same age as she when she was taken as this crazy guy's wife?"

"No," Erwin said shortly. Except for the Special Operations Squad and Hanji, everyone looked at him in confusion. "He was a grown man when I met him. In fact, it was just before the fall of Wall Maria."

"Before…the fall of Wall Maria?" The cadet with the dark brown hair and green eyes stated. "That doesn't make any sense! That was in year 845 then! There's no way a grown man would be able to join the Survey Corps, become one of the strongest soldiers, _and _be the second in command in five years! There's no way that could happen."

"It did happen. What's more is that Levi was a criminal at that time." Before Yeager could comment, Arlert spoke.

"Was the situation that bad that you had to recruit a criminal?"

"Many people thought that was the reason for my decision, but that was not so. I knew who Levi was, and of his father and mother. Both of them were highly skilled, and I could tell by looking at Levi that he possessed those genes to the fullest. If…there was any chance at taking back at humanity, I would take in a thief and the son of a serial killer."

"I suppose Levi-_heichō_ didn't come with you willingly," Gunther stated quietly while deep in thought.

"No, he did not. I had to force him."

"How?" asked one of the cadets.

"I threatened the lives of his friends if he didn't join the Survey Corps."

Erwin could see the morphing emotions of the Special Operations Squad and the 104th Trainees Squad as they became shocked, horrified, and later enraged.

"That's low, even for you, Erwin," Hanji whispered.

"How could you?" Three of the trainees stood and began yelling. "How could you blackmail him that? That's _disgusting_!"

One of them shouted, "Then you must be responsible for their deaths then!"

"He accused me of the same thing when they died."

"Huh?" The three looked at him blankly as if they couldn't understand his words.

"They died," Erwin stated simply. Blank stares echoed across the room. "Their names were Isabel Magnolia and Farlan Church. As far as I know, they were his friends from childhood. Isabel even called him _oniichan_." Erwin felt his voice tightened as he remembered a younger Levi telling him _"They're not my subordinates." He carries the fault of their deaths inside him, even when it wasn't his fault. _"I have no idea how they died, but I'm certain Levi saw his entire squad slaughtered. He saw his two friends die, and I think that's what gave him the edge."

"What do you mean?" Petra asked.

"Levi was blinded by rage. So blinded…that he killed all five Titans by himself." Expressions ranging from horror to elation and admiration were across their faces. "Not one person in the sixty-five years since the creation of the 3D Maneuver Gear had ever done that. Soon he was called Humanity's Strongest after that expedition. He told me what a joke that was. Levi couldn't even save the two people he wanted to save most, so why…was he given that name? Why was he alive?" Erwin remembered of how Levi had screamed and tried to fight him despite the rage and grief pouring from him. He had told him that it was his pride that had caused his two comrades' deaths. _I told him they were unnecessary deaths…and he took it to heart. I still remember how…empty he was, and of how no one could ever reach him. _"Levi did whatever it was possible to make sure that nightmare never happened again. That's why he takes on Titans by himself…and of why he hates unnecessary deaths. He promised himself that he would never allow someone to die because of him ever again. In that…he has his mother's heart."

"Hanji…what will happen if Levi turns back?" Petra whispered.

"He'll likely have to deal with his childhood and everything that happened. He'll have no memory of this." Hanji sighed and held her head in her hands. "I remember them, you know. Isabel...she was so sweet. She seemed very proud of Levi, telling me that he was always the strongest, even in Underground. She loved him so much. Farlan was silent, but I too could see his devotion. He looked up to him." Hanji liked her lips, and uncharacteristic tears marred her face. "When they died…oh, when they died…something ceased to be within him." She looked at the child in Petra's arms. "He was just starting to get whatever he lost back…and now he'll have to experience all that pain once again. I…wish I could change it." Tears traveled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry…I wish I could change that."

Petra swallowed. It hurt to not to cry. "His world….wasn't like ours at all. There weren't moments of beauty like with ours. It was _only_ cruel. …How I wish this state wasn't temporary. We could…give him a childhood he never had. How I wish we could do that."

"_Oneechan_?" Big gray eyes sleepily opened, and the child looked around the room curiously. Erwin caught the child looking at him. _Hanji's right. He is…adorable. _Erwin could see Petra smile down at his tiny face, but her smile didn't reach her eyes. _She's still upset by the fact that Levi's state is only temporary, and he'll have to go through his childhood and adolescence without the love and affection gives him. Petra understands this, but it doesn't mean it is hard to take. _"Where…are we?" Suddenly the child's eyes landed on Mikasa, and he started to tremble. His gray eyes were starting to flow with tears, and he buried his face into Petra's shoulder.

Petra swallowed, trying to not feel the anger she felt toward the trainee. She focused her attention on Levi, who was crying into her uniform. _My poor Levi, _Petra thought. She was about to stroke his hair, but thought better of it. The young woman stood, and turned to Erwin-_danchō_. "I'm going to see if he can rest." The commander nodded. She could feel the stares and the gazes of her squad and the trainees on her and the crying little boy. Petra mouthed "thank you," before closing the door behind her.

"I hope none of you will tell this story to anyone else." Erwin eyed the trainees. "There are many words that the government denies, especially regarding Levi's parents. Even Levi himself…knows nothing about his mother. Not even her name."

"So…all of this is true?" Armin Arlert whispered. His eyes were hidden away from his bangs, but Erwin could almost _feel _the shock and the horror in seen in his eyes. "Levi-_heichō_'s father, who was a serial killer…and his…" Erwin could see that the trainee was struggling to speak. "_Upbringing_…if you call it that." The hollow laugh that echoed through the hall sent shivers down the other trainee's mind. "His mother, taken away before she could help humanity and later murdered by the father of her child…and including the deaths of the only two friends he had?" His voice was barely audible, and Erwin could hear the hurt in his voice. "I'm sorry, Erwin-_danchō_, what you did five years ago was wrong. You…forced Levi to join the Survey Corps on the threat of his friends' deaths. You said that you needed him, his strength and the hope he would convey. That…"

"Yes, all of what you said and more is true." Erwin stated quietly. He had suspected that there would be yelling and scorn from both of the groups, but none of them said a word. He saw the trainees slowly get up one by one, and Levi's squad and Hanji quietly talking amongst themselves. Erwin stood and was about to check on Levi and Petra when he saw Mikasa Ackerman come near him.

"Why does Levi's father have the name Ackerman?" Mikasa asked. Erwin eyed her closely. "I suspect that Levi also took that name." Her face was unreadable despite the emotion seeping from her voice. "Are they related to me?" Erwin sighed. The trainee could be as stubborn as Levi at times. _She is not ready. I can see it in her eyes. If I told her the truth…everything in her world would fall apart. She would go insane._

"You are not ready for the truth," he told her solemnly. He saw a spark of anger in her eyes.

"Why not?" _She's like Levi, apt to hide her emotions and feelings so excellently people believe they aren't human. The only emotions they show are to the ones they love. Mikasa to Eren…and Levi to Petra. …The only difference is, that Mikasa's life depends on Eren's survival. Levi's life does not depend on Petra's…no matter how much he loves her and holds her close to his closed heart._

"You will find out, eventually. Your heart and mind are not yet strong enough to acknowledge the truth." Erwin turned away from her, not wanting to see the expression on her face that reminded him so much of Levi. As he turned the doorknob, he saw Mikasa going into the room where Levi was resting. _Go out strong, daughter of Kenney Ackerman. _

"What are you doing here?" Mikasa stared, bored, at the woman in front of her. She was holding a sleeping Levi's hand in her own. Mikasa's eyes wavered to the dark purple bruise around the child's neck. _I… _Mikasa pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down.

"I wanted to ask him a question," she stated calmly. As if on cue, Levi opened his eyes. Immediately after seeing Mikasa, he inched closer to her superior. Mikasa remembered of how she had felt the same fear and dread when the human traffickers almost came to take her away. Before Eren came. _I… _"Did you see your mother die?" she asked.

Without even looking, Mikasa could feel the shock and anger radiating from the woman beside her. Mikasa could see the child's gray eyes widen, and he opened his mouth as if trying to speak. Nothing came out. "…N-no." Mikasa didn't say anything for a moment. She saw, again, the woman who had been her mother bleeding out, her blood staining the floor.

"You are lucky, then." _I thought…we could understand each other more. _She walked across the room and closed the door behind her.

"Levi?" Petra whispered. The child was still. Even when she called his name again, he didn't respond. She could see his tiny arms wrapped around his body, and his breaths coming out in uneven gasps. _Is…he having a flashback? Or is he reacting to what Mikasa Ackerman said?_ The little boy was starting to cry. Petra unclasped her hands from his, and embraced him. He wasn't calming down. Petra had a memory of crying into Levi's chest, waking from yet another nightmare. He told her before that he hated tears, and yet somehow he was fine with hers. She remembered the song he whispered in her ears, his breath tickling her face.

"_Chanson juste pour toi,_

_Chanson un peu triste je cois –" _

It had the opposite effect. Levi was suddenly struggling to get out of her grasp, his arms hitting her face, and clawing to get away. His mouth was pulled in a soundless scream. _"Maman! Maman! __Où…êtes-vous? Maman! Pourqoui…Maman?"_ He was screaming and crying. Tears were flowing onto Petra's face. Levi kept screaming and sobbing…until there was a flash of light. Petra had to close her eyes; the light blinded her so much that she dropped Levi on the bed. Steadily it began to decline.

"Levi?"

"What, Petra?" That voice…Petra knew it from anywhere. The light was now completely gone, and a grown Levi was on the bed, in the same position he was before. Petra sighed, uncertain of how she felt about…this. She was grateful to see Levi again, the man she loved. At the same time, however, she felt sadness overtake her for a moment as she thought of the child Levi had been. He was going to go through the same torture he had been through when Levi had become an adult again…and there was no stopping it. _Isabel and Farlan will be there for him, if only for a brief time. He won't be alone. The team will be there for him too. I'm there, _she told herself. Then Petra realized the clothes that Levi had been wearing were torn to pieces and scattered over the floor. He was naked.

"Levi, get some clothes on!" Petra hissed, her face now red and not looking at the man in front of her.

"You've seen me naked before." She could sense the irritation in his voice. "I don't know what the problem is." _Yes…many times. _Petra turned a deeper red at the thought. Her thoughts disappeared as Levi stood and observed the floor.

"Don't tell me the dumbass trainees have gotten any smaller," he muttered. "The torn clothes look like they belong to a two year old." He glanced at Petra. "There's no children around here, right, Petra?"

Petra didn't hear herself give a reply. _He doesn't remember? _As she continued to observe him, she saw that it was true. Confusion was etched on his face as he realized where he was.

"Why the fuck are we at the brat's quarters?" He tapped his foot in thought. "It must be the shitty four-eyes," he fumed. "I swear, if this is _another_ one of her –"

"Petra! Levi!" There was pounding on the door. _This is not good, _Petra thought to herself. "Are you okay? We saw this strange light!"

"We're fine, Oluo." Levi answered. They both heard audible gasps coming from the other side of the door. "What is it?"

"You're back, _Heichō_!"

"Back?" Levi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by back?"

There was a moment of uneasy silence. "Well, Hanji accidently poured something in your drink, and…the medics were busy…so we brought you here to rest." Usually Levi would question an explanation as simple as that, but he was either too perplexed, or as he would say, "Didn't give a shit." Levi sighed in annoyance.

"Get some of my clothes for me while you tie Hanji up for her punishment."

"Ooh, you and Petra were at it again, _Heichō_? That's not healthy, you know."

Petra told him to shut up as Levi's eyebrows twitched. Soon the two of them were alone, and Petra watched a couple of moments, Levi looked at her in concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked. He held her hand between his own, and she could see concern in his gaze. _If only everyone could know him like this. _He was different with her. Petra was the only one who saw his human side. Then she remembered. _I'm not the only one to see the true Levi, right Isabel? Right, Farlan?_

"Do you remember anything?"

"No," Levi stated. "I only remember going to sleep…and seeing you once I woke up." He touched his calloused fingers to her jaw, slightly stroking her skin. "Is something wrong?"

Petra shook her head. "No, nothing."

It seemed almost like a dream that it had happened. A week had past. Erwin treated Levi the same as if he had never been a child. The squad respected him and revered him, and didn't mention Levi turning into a child at all. And Levi was still affectionate and loving towards her.

One early morning while in bed with him, the soft sheets brushing across her skin, Petra burrowed her face into Levi's shoulder and asked him a question.

"Mm?" He was waking up from his sleep, and didn't hear her.

"Do you remember your mother?" Levi sat up, his eyes narrowing and looking at Petra with a questioning stare. Petra was lying against the pillows, watching him through her amber eyes slowly.

"Why do you ask?" Levi's expression was unreadable.

"I…was just thinking about my mother, and of how she died when I was a child. I was…wondering if you had any memories of _your _mother."

Levi didn't answer. Petra almost hoped that he would say that he didn't. Wouldn't it be too painful for him, especially if he saw her die? Petra remembered the young trainee, knowing that she and her classmates were graduating tonight. _She's a lot like him, _Petra thought as Levi continued to be silent.

"I remember he death." The sound coming from him was so subdued that it took Petra a moment to understand what he had said. Then her eyes winded. _But... _"I thought I didn't see her die, but it turns out I did. I…still remember the wounds across her body, blood seeping through the cracks. I had no idea who she was at first. Then _he _asked me why I didn't recognize her. She was my mother, after all. I still remember him laughing." Levi sighed from deep in his chest, and he closed his eyes for a moment. His gray eyes revealed nothing of the pain he held inside. "I must have been about three when…she died. I only remember what had happened because of a mission he entrusted to me when I was ten years old. I was supposed to kill an enemy of his, but she looked so much like someone I knew. …Then I remembered my mother, and of how she died. I ran away that night, never to go back that shitty place known as hell. I didn't care as memories were fucking up my mind. All I knew was that…I was _never _going to kill a human being. I was never going to end up like _him_." Levi's nostrils flared, and his hands were white from clenching them so hard.

Petra could see how close he was to breaking, and for a moment, she saw the lost boy she had taken care of in him. _Pain, _she could only think. She embraced him and held his hands. Levi looked up and she could see the love he had for her oozing out of him. A glance could mean so much. Softly, he kissed her, sweetly on the lips. She could feel the saltiness of his tears in her mouth. They both held each other until both of them fell asleep.

None of them knew that it be there last time together, forever.

* * *

**I want to thank anyone who has done anything to make this story possible. Thank you so much! All of your reviews, favorites, and follows really made my day. Thank you again!**


End file.
